The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-02

Alderman Duncan's proposed ordinance
prohibiting any considerable disturbance of
the soil on private property during certain
months OF the year without the permission
of tho Sanitary Board, which was defeated
at the last meeting of the Council, may be
modified in some respects and considered
again. While there is n disposition in the
community to comply with any requirement
which may be deemed necessary for tho
preservation of tho public health, there is
marked opposition to any regulation that
will tend TO unnecessarily Obstruct
public improvements. The Sanitary Board
does not meet every day. In fact,
its meetings are rather irregular, and if the
ordinance in question were to be passed, the
getting of permits would necessarily be at
tended with good deal of annoyance and
delay There are those who rather than
encounter trouble in getting a permit,
would abandon contemplated improvements
altogether. 1t is probable thut the Sanitary
Board would not inform itself by investiga-
ton, whether or not each application for a
permit should be granted, but would impose
that duty upon its representative and act
upon his report. Whether an application
for a permit should be granted or not,
would, therefore, depend upon the judgment
of one person.
The principle Of the proposed ordinance
was right enough. The Objectionable fea-
ture of it was the way that it was proposed
that it should be enforced Why should not
the Council enforce it through its own
= hng Ie
practical mon who can easily inform them
selves when it would not be advisable TO
disturb the soil AS "a rule, a single sugges-
ton that the soil should not be disturbed
would be needed by nine-tenths of those
proposing to make improvements requiring
excavations, even if there was no ordinance
on the subject. The ordinance is needed
only to protect the community against the
other tenth, and that the Council is fully
able to enforce such an ordinance, wisely
and satisfactorily, there is no doubt
There is another matter that is of moro
importance than that of the disturbance of
the soil ON private property. 1t is the exist
ence of loud-smelling and disease breeding
closets. The Council and the Sanitary
Board have had their attention called to
these dangerous nuisanccs, but, as yet, moth
ing has been done towards removing them
They afford the Sanitary Board and the
Council IA field for usefulness. No amount
of disinfectants will render them harmless
or free them from offensive odors. In hot
weather they make life anything but joyful
to those in their immediate vicinity.
The Council says that it has no authority
TO remove them. But there must be authori-
ty somewhere. The city has authority to
put out fires which threaten to destroy
private property. Why, then, has it not
authority to remove closets which endanger
the public health Has the city greater au-
thority where property is concerned than
where human life is involved.
All that is slecessary is that the matter
shall be dealt with in a determined and Wig
orous way. Let the Sanitary Board de
clare these closets to be nuiSances and let the
Council request the owners of the property
on which they are located to remove them
If the property owners refuse let the Coun-
neil have them removed. If the property
owners feel aggrieved let them go into
court and see if a jury of their fellow citi-
zens will award them damages. The Coun-
Gil has certain police powers and these pow
ers are great enough to justify the removal
of nuisances which are dangerous to the
public health.